“I was drafted by the Bengals (in 1983), and he was my defensive backfield coach, later my defensive coordinator,” Horton said. “I coached with him or under him for quite a while.”

“When you have a mentor like that, it goes beyond football. I carry some of the life lessons I’ve learned from him into my life and instilled into my children and my coaching career. Probably everything that I am, he’s a big reason why.”

Horton was in Canton for LeBeau’s Hall of Fame induction in 2010. It was his last year in Pittsburgh before landing a coordinator job with Arizona.

LeBeau grew up in London, Ohio, in a family that would drive around on autumn Sundays trying to find a radio signal strong enough to pull in Browns games.

After playing for one of Hayes’ national championship teams at Ohio State, LeBeau was thrilled to be drafted by Paul Brown’s Browns at No. 58 overall in 1959. His family’s devotion to the Browns ended when Brown cut him that summer.

Yet, LeBeau wound up working as a coach for Brown’s Bengals as a coach from 1980 through the year of Brown’s death, 1991. During that time, a defensive back named Ray became a LeBeau favorite. In the 1988 season, they went to a Super Bowl together.

More recently, in Pittsburgh, they went to three Super Bowls together.

“We’ve gone on many golf trips when we’ve been on the road together,” Horton said. “I’ve seen him treating people exceptionally well in gas stations, in restaurants.

“He’s quite the scholar. I would say he’s got that common touch. He’s got an uncanny ability to make you think he’s the only person in the room that matters.”

BROWNS’ PLAYOFF WATCH

The Browns (4-6) have a chance to pull even in the race for the second AFC wild-card spot.

Here is what they hope happens this weekend:

• The Dolphins fall to 5-6 with a home loss to Carolina.

• The Jets lose at Baltimore, leaving both teams at 5-6.

• The Chargers fall to 4-7 with a loss at Kansas City.

It doesn’t matter who wins the Tennessee-at-Oakland game. The winner will be 5-6, the loser 4-7 in the battle of wild-card contenders.

A Browns win would put them at 5-5 and sink Pittsburgh to 4-7.

It is not out of the question there will be a five-way tie of 5-6 teams leading the race for the second wild-card spot. There is a decent chance the Browns would remain just one game behind if they lose.

KEISEL, WOODLEY IFFY

• Defensive end Brett Keisel (foot) and linebacker LaMarr Woodley (calf) were listed as questionable for Sunday’s game on the Steelers’ latest injury report. Between them, they have 37 quarterback pressures and seven sacks. Neither played last week against the Lions.

• Browns rookie defensive end Armonty Bryant is questionable with a back issue. Rookie tight end MarQueis Gray will miss his second straight game with a hamstring problem.

• After getting jostled around at Cincinnati, Browns punter Spencer Lanning had some knee swelling that worried the Browns to the extent they worked out a few punters. The swelling subsided, and Lanning will suit up Sunday.

“Coach Horton is a smart guy who’s going to put guys in a position to succeed,” said LeBeau’s latest Pittsburgh boss, Mike Tomlin. “Every defense has its own individuality. Dick LeBeau won’t be making the calls for the Cleveland Browns. Ray Horton will.”